orygunn's review
2.0
This was a quick read, but felt disjointed and as if the author wanted to throw everything possible into one book.
albon's review
4.0
2015 review:
This was actually really interesting. I don't read a lot of thrillers, so my ratings of them are probably nicer than what people who have read a lot of thrillers would give, but that's what I've got to work with, and I'm just stating my opinion.
This was actually really interesting. I don't read a lot of thrillers, so my ratings of them are probably nicer than what people who have read a lot of thrillers would give, but that's what I've got to work with, and I'm just stating my opinion.
crazycardigan's review
3.0
I didn't really get into this book until about halfway through. I almost gave up in it. Parts of it were great, but after all the buildup, I found the big reveal to be pretty disappointing and borderline, silly actually. It wasn't terrible.
myzanm's review
5.0
Chilling. Brilliant.
The book starts up slowly. Angus and Sarah are vividly portrayed as a couple unable to cope with the loss of one of their twin girls. Angus turns to the bottle and Sarah is deeply depressed. Both adding to the strain in their marriage which is crumbling, slowly deteriorating. In a desperate attempt to save their marriage and to get a fresh start they decide to move away from London to a small island off the Scottish coast that Angus has inherited.
In the middle of this chaos is their remaining twin, 7 year old Kirstie who is struck by the abrupt loss of her other half. She is in her own way trying to deal with the emptiness while wondering why everyone is calling her by her dead sisters name.
As the family settles in their new home the cracks in their facade is widening. Kristie/Lydia claims that her sister has returned and that she says terrible things. Questions are piling up about the events leading up to the little girls death. It keeps you guessing to the very end about what really happened the night she fell.
It was a gut wrenching read that kept me captivated until the last page after the first slow chapters. I did not see this particular ending. My sympathies wavered from one to an other as every new detail is reviled.
Re-read 3/25 2020:
My review still stnad with the exception that the start up of the story felt even slower this time. Once I got past that it was just as good as I remembered. Maybe even better, because this time I noticed small details I cant remember catching the first time.
The book starts up slowly. Angus and Sarah are vividly portrayed as a couple unable to cope with the loss of one of their twin girls. Angus turns to the bottle and Sarah is deeply depressed. Both adding to the strain in their marriage which is crumbling, slowly deteriorating. In a desperate attempt to save their marriage and to get a fresh start they decide to move away from London to a small island off the Scottish coast that Angus has inherited.
In the middle of this chaos is their remaining twin, 7 year old Kirstie who is struck by the abrupt loss of her other half. She is in her own way trying to deal with the emptiness while wondering why everyone is calling her by her dead sisters name.
As the family settles in their new home the cracks in their facade is widening. Kristie/Lydia claims that her sister has returned and that she says terrible things. Questions are piling up about the events leading up to the little girls death. It keeps you guessing to the very end about what really happened the night she fell.
It was a gut wrenching read that kept me captivated until the last page after the first slow chapters. I did not see this particular ending. My sympathies wavered from one to an other as every new detail is reviled.
Re-read 3/25 2020:
My review still stnad with the exception that the start up of the story felt even slower this time. Once I got past that it was just as good as I remembered. Maybe even better, because this time I noticed small details I cant remember catching the first time.
envd22's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
amanda_rozema's review against another edition
4.0
Spannend tot aan het eind, wat is er gebeurd tijdens het noodlottige ongeval. Welk van de tweelingdochters is overleden? De gruwelijkheid van de verhaallijn is soms angstaanjagend.
kricketa's review against another edition
2.0
i was so into this book right up until the ending. it was creepy and atmospheric and the setting in the hebrides was so perfect. i stayed up late to keep reading. i couldn't put it down
and then, and then, the ending! THE ENDING PISSED ME OFF SO HARD.
two thoughts after finishing:
1) a twisty ending is not impressive if it makes zero sense.
2) the author of this was definitely a man. low and behold, s.k. tremayne is actually this dude:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Knox_%28author%29
interestingly, he is also the author of this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Millions-Women-Are-Waiting-Meet/dp/0747585563/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1434572977&sr=8-1&keywords=9780747585565
which suggests that he has a hard time meeting women. i would suggest that it might be because he hates them.
i'm also annoyed because i told a bunch of people how much i was enjoying this book while i was reading it and now i take it back. but i still kind of hope they read it so we can bitch about the ending together.
and then, and then, the ending! THE ENDING PISSED ME OFF SO HARD.
Spoiler
of course, of course, it's allllll the mother's fault. the slutty slutty mom who destroyed her family by having an affair. but here's the thing. based on what we know about this main character, would she actually pick up a dude at a bar and bring him back to her parents house WHILE HER CHILDREN WERE THERE? no. this character would not. sure, there was her infidelity right after the twins died, but that was explained and healed. for the second infidelity she's just like "oh hey i was bored with my husband so i did this incredibly stupid thing that i would never do." i just refuse to believe that this woman would have gotten drunk and boned a stranger with her kids in the next room. fortunately, she pays for her mistake by drowning herself in some mud. so that's fun. scarlet letter much? i hate this shit.two thoughts after finishing:
1) a twisty ending is not impressive if it makes zero sense.
2) the author of this was definitely a man. low and behold, s.k. tremayne is actually this dude:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Knox_%28author%29
interestingly, he is also the author of this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Millions-Women-Are-Waiting-Meet/dp/0747585563/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1434572977&sr=8-1&keywords=9780747585565
which suggests that he has a hard time meeting women. i would suggest that it might be because he hates them.
i'm also annoyed because i told a bunch of people how much i was enjoying this book while i was reading it and now i take it back. but i still kind of hope they read it so we can bitch about the ending together.
waxingquixotic's review against another edition
2.0
The plot sounded interesting enough with twins getting all mixed up, one of them dead but we aren't really sure which one. The setting was great, too, and we'll developed. It added another layer of suspense and horror to the book.
But, the book isn't written well. If you want to prove my point you can just read the beginning and end of each chapter and I guarantee you won't miss anything. There's a lot of stuff going on, but it's boring and doesn't add much to the mystery.
If there was no mystery I would have stopped reading, but I read/skimmed my way to the end just to find out what happened. Nothing shocking. Nothing new. Not worth the effort.
This one just doesn't stand out among its competition. In fact, it doesn't really stand out at all. A good book will keep me enthralled, reading every word, turning pages quickly, not wanting to put the book down. I only turned the pages quickly this time to be done with the book and move on.
But, the book isn't written well. If you want to prove my point you can just read the beginning and end of each chapter and I guarantee you won't miss anything. There's a lot of stuff going on, but it's boring and doesn't add much to the mystery.
If there was no mystery I would have stopped reading, but I read/skimmed my way to the end just to find out what happened. Nothing shocking. Nothing new. Not worth the effort.
This one just doesn't stand out among its competition. In fact, it doesn't really stand out at all. A good book will keep me enthralled, reading every word, turning pages quickly, not wanting to put the book down. I only turned the pages quickly this time to be done with the book and move on.
leslielikesthings's review against another edition
3.0
Decent thriller that kept me guessing, but I found the revelation a little unsatisfying.
jnicweb's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Had big expectations from this one. Really liked the first 85% of the book but the last bit wasn’t satisfying at all. They are both bad parents.